Tuesday, March 29, 2016

T-Mobile to launch data only plans for phones later this week

If you really don't use the "phone" part of your phone anymore, T-Mobile may have something in store for you. TmoNews reports that the carrier will launch a range of plans called Simple Choice Data Only on March 30th; the plans include unlimited texting but don't come with any voice service.

The monthly plans break down like this, according to a leaked document:

2GB = $20

6GB = $35

10GB = $50

14GB = $65

18GB = $80

22GB = $95

These prices and data buckets are the same as T-Mobile offers for its data-only internet devices like tablets.

T-Mobile's $30 prepaid plan with 5GB of data, unlimited texting, and 100 minutes of voice service is likely to remain a more mainstream option. But offering the data-only plans at all is a recognition of the fact that the major US carriers all force you to pay for voice service with your smartphone whether you use it or not.

A new service called Charge Mobile Data launched earlier this month with much the same idea. If AT&T and Verizon follow suit, there may be a lot more people in the US that elect to use Skype or Google Voice for the three phone calls they make a month.